Japanese divorce ceremonies

Not to tease about anyone going through a divorce, but this is another of those “sounds almost like The Onion” articles:

“The rickshaw ride ends at a purposely shabby storefront, marked with the words ‘Refresh’ and ‘Divorce’ outside.

‘Thank you very much for coming,’ says ceremony planner Terai. In a short speech, he explains how Taka and Michiko have grown apart since their marriage in 2002. It is time to say farewell, Terai says.

Then holding a heavy hammer painted green like a frog, Michiko and Taka smash Michiko’s diamond and platinum wedding ring. The strong ring doesn’t crack, despite the direct hit.

The couple hits the ring six times until finally it is bent beyond repair, and the diamonds have cracked off the ring.”

And at the very least, this does give me the idea for some other sorts of ceremonies that need to be developed.